Damon's Teddy Bears
by vamphony
Summary: How does it feel when you love someone so bad, and all they give in return are teddy bears?


**AN:** Hello, everyone! Welcome.

I was writing the chapters to my other stories when bits and parts of this started popping up and then I finally got the whole idea for this one shot. I've seen bits and pieces of this idea before on Tumblr and Pinterest but I added my own twists to it. I'm kind of a hopeless romantic but not in my own life, does that make sense? I still have a little faith in love in real life but overall it's pretty bad because people are monsters nowadays : ( so I live in the world of fanfiction because it never lets me down.

I want to thank my beta even though I just randomly posted this: **Salvatoreboys4ever**

Thank you, Bonnie! Everyone needs to go check out her one shots and stories. Like one called, "The Power Within" and it doesn't disappoint. It has some of the cutest Delena moments and all of the characters are very likeable, except Caroline because I have never liked her. But, anyways, I hope you enjoy this one shot because I did work hard on it!

* * *

The teenage girl sat on her queen-sized bed, writing in her journal with a huge smile on her face, her cheeks bright red.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I swear this is the happiest day of my life. And, when I say the happiest, I mean the HAPPIEST. After years of friendship, me and Damon are finally dating! Yes, the one I always talk about._ _And, he kissed me! My cheeks are so red and body feels so hot. I don't know how long I've loved_ _Damon but I'm on cloud nine!_

 _When my mom always told me that there was someone out there for me, I had always rolled my eyes and told her that loved didn't exist in the world anymore. But, when I met Damon in middle school, my heart beat faster and my hands were sweaty. I couldn't stop staring at him and even Bonnie and Caroline said it was starting to get creepy so despite my_ _better judgement, I looked away. I swear, I've had a crush on him the moment he kissed my hand and smirked at me, that signature Damon Salvatore smirk._

 _I've watched him go on dates with other girls that really_ _hurt when he couldn't see what was in front of him but I always cheered in the fact it never lasted, even if that sounds bad, and_ _he always came back to me. I hoped one day he could see me as more than a friend._

 _AND, IT HAPPENED! Like I can't think straight. I have so many things I want to write but I'll cut it short since my wrist is already aching from doing tests and a_ _paper today._

 _I can see me and Damon in the future, and yes! I know, I'm completely fangirling over him but I don't care. He's my boyfriend now and I can stare, touch, kiss and fangirl all I want! And, about how he asked me after years of me hoping and praying,_ _I was sitting at the Grill with Caroline and Bonnie when he came in and I didn't notice him at first but when he stalked over_ _to us, there was no way I couldn't notice. His hands were in his pockets and his head was tilted down almost as if he was sad, he_ _didn't greet Bonnie and Caroline like he usually did so I immediately started panicking and thought the worst._

 _He asked me to come outside with him because he needed to talk. His eyes were so blue but I could tell there was something, he was nervous. He grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers and my_ _heart beat quicker, which was normal_ _but I was more concerned_ _about why he was acting weird. He pulled me into the alley beside the Grill and I asked him what was wrong. He ignored my_ _question and licked his lips. A movement he rarely, if ever, made. That was more of my thing and that only made my concern shoot up. Our hands were still joined and he looked down at the them, gazing like he couldn't find anything better to look at, like he was in love with the sight. He sighed and his other hand came around my waist, his fingers lightly touching my skin, leaving a trail of fire and pulled me closer. Before I could respond, he laid his head right under my neck, not on my_ _breasts but the bottom_ _of my neck, her hands still intertwined and his arm tried to pull me as close as possible._

 _"What's wrong, Damon?" I had asked. He never acted like this. Sure, he had done things countless_ _of times before but when he did, it never felt like something_ _was off with him and this time it felt even better, like I was complete, which I had always felt and I couldn't stop the little voice inside my head that said maybe_ _Damon had finally returned my_ _feelings._

 _"Nothings wrong. I just need you" He mumbled into my skin as I placed my head on top of his. My hand curled around his neck, just wanting to touch_ _him in some way. Some_ _might even call the position awkward from the way he was bent down resting his head on me, even though he was taller than me. But, it felt right to me and he had no complaints either._

 _My_ _favorite position when we cuddle_ _is when he lays on top of me, between my legs, his head in my neck and my arms around his head, kissing his hair. He always sleeps like a baby for the rest of the night and sometimes_ _I even wake up with the positions_ _switched and I'm now laying on top of him and his arms around my waist. I have a feeling that every time_ _that happens, Damon wakes up and flips us but every time_ _I ask he smirks_ _and says he has no idea what I'm talking about._

 _"Well, I'm right here" I had_ _responded, closing my eyes, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms. It wasn't like I hadn't been in them before but I always cherished each and every time._

 _"No" He said defiantly_ _like a child and thinking back on it now made my heart race, just from the sound of his voice. He pulled away from me and pressed his leather back against the wall and all I could do was stand there confused. He had NEVER pulled away like that. Nine times out of ten, he only removed his hands from me is when his family called for him. Funny thing about his family. Everyone thinks were dating in secrecy, well we weren't not before just an hour ago and every time they brought_ _it up, I always blushed. His mother, Lily, who I look to as a guide even though my parents are more than willing to talk with me, always teased us about getting married in the future and even Damon blushed, once and it was the cutest thing I've ever seen. Not even new born puppies could replace Damon's blush. And,_ _he_ _pulled his hand from mine when we stood in the alley and my hand felt so cold when he did that. For a second, I thought he was mad at me._

 _"I mean, I need you" My_ _first thought when he finished his sentence was that he knew. He KNEW about my feelings. It was irrational because he gave no indication about feelings but it's the way he said, the pure desperation in his voice, like he genuinely_ _needed me. I just didn't know for what. I didn't say a word. I just stood there, still confused. I could tell he was struggling_ _with his words, Damon has never been the type to spill out his emotions or even describe them very well._

 _He took a deep breath and looked at the dirty ground deep in thought before his eyes, suddenly, shot up to mine and he stepped closer as quickly as I blinked. The next thing I knew, he was less than an inch away from my lips or let me correct, his lips were an inch from mine. Those crystal blue eyes kept flashing down to my lips and back up to my eyes, multiple times, an inner battle clear as day on his face. One of his hands pushed my hair behind my shoulder looking at me with pure admiration before he leaned in and kissed me. My eyes shot open in surprise but I quickly closed them, kissing him back. I wish I could have preserved the feel, the moment forever._

 _There were more than a few times where I had stared at Damon's lips, his whole face, and I DON'T mean in the creepy way. I just carefully outlined his features with my eyes but other than his eyes, his lips always drew me in._ _If the eyes are the gateway to the soul, the lips are the same thing for the body and his lips_ _are the softness, passion and the promise of the sweetness to come and he did NOT disappoint. He pulled away after a few moments and my eyes had still been closed, completely_ _dazed from the kiss. His lips put me into a sense of intoxication that made me feel drunk and only want more. His index finger was under my chin, his thumb right under my lips. The smirk_ _had returned to his face, knowing_ _his kiss blurred my every thought._

 _"I can stop this anymore...I can't fight it. And, I understand_ _that this may have screwed up our_ _entire relationship but I can't keep this to myself_ _anymore, Elena. I'm sorry. I..." He paused as if the words had_ _caught in his throat. I wasn't taking pleasure in his word loss but it was definitely_ _a treat_ _to see him, not himself because he always knows what to say and always has something to say. I wanted to stop him and ask him if he was saying what I think_ _he was going to say but decided not to, wanting to hear it from his own lips. I wanted to hear him say it._

 _"Will you be my_ _girlfriend?" He asked, nervously, and swallowed like I would turn him down. I know this was a HUGE step for him because he is not good with words or his emotions. So, telling me that he wanted me to be his girlfriend, made me smile even further._

 _I, of course, nodded as if it was the best thing to ever happen to me and it was and we kissed again before he had pulled away, saying he needed to get something. I questioned_ _what but he just said go to my house and wait because there was something_ _he needed to do. I'm still waiting..._

 _So, a lot_ _happened today, diary and I just wanted to let you know. You are my_ _friend that knows my biggest secrets :_ _P_

 _-Elena_

She closed the diary and placed it under her bed in its usual hiding spot. She couldn't risk someone finding it. It had too many embarrassing secrets, mostly about Damon and how sexy he is, and no one could find it! Just as she raised her head back up, a figure appeared in the doorway. She plastered a smile on her face, hoping he didn't see her put her diary under the bed. He could _not_ find that. He would use it against her for the rest of her life and raise his eyebrows at the scandalous things she had written.

"Damon," She breathed and he walked in the room, closer to her bed, smiling. She guessed he hadn't seen it or he would have commented or teased by trying to reach for it. As he walked closer to the bed, she noticed a brown teddy bear in his hands that was so small it made him look like a boy with a crush and he was giving a present to the girl he liked, which Elena found nothing short than _adorable._ He handed to her and she smiled as the soft material lightly tickled her hands. She giggled before looking back up at Damon, who was watching her play with the toy, a smile on his face.

"Is this what you went to get?" She asked as he sat on the bed next to her.

"Yeah" He said without explaining why. He was almost twirling around on way he got the bear. Of course, she adored it and was happy Damon got her this. A lot of boys, even men, don't like to spoil their women anymore. It's almost like a silent law. You can't buy your wife or girlfriend's gifts. She didn't push on the fact he got the bear but was happy he did.

She bit her lip, placing the bear in her lap. "Damon?"

"Yeah?" He asked, tilting his head at her movement as she scooted closer.

"I love you" She whispered, closer to his face. He froze at the words, his brain starting to run at a thousand miles at hour. Elena knew he wasn't good at this. Why is she doing this? He barely can say he loves his mother without practically forcing it out of his throat.

"Elena-" He started in a small voice but was cut off when she placed her index finger over his lips, silencing him.

"Damon, it's okay. I just wanted you to know. You don't have to say it back. I know you're not ready" She said and kissed his cheek before laying back on her bed, the bear in her hands as she played with it, making weird faces as Damon shook his head at the sight. She laughed at his head shake and stuck her tongue out before placing the bear on the bottom of her foot and lifting it in the air, smiling.

* * *

Elena collapsed on her queen-sized bed, huffing at the day's events. First, her history teacher, Mr. Saltzman, gave them a pop quiz about the timeline of the wars from first to last, which already had her head aching because, of course, she forgot the timeline and probably failed. Then, Coach Tanner made them run twenty laps then pull ups in front of some of the other student and needless to say, she failed miserably. And, now, she was stressed about the dance she, of course, _forgot_ about so she needed to rush to find a dress and how she planned on doing her hair. She didn't even know if Damon was taking her! He wasn't the type to go to dances. He was still a bad boy, but _her_ bad boy. And, her back was pounding, like it had a heartbeat.

She rubbed her aching temples, not even attempting to reach her diary. She would write later when she was more relaxed. The smell of food from the kitchen, no doubt her mother cooking dinner for the family. She sat up when the same, familiar figure was in the doorway.

"Why don't you text me when you're on your way?" Elena asked, a teasing smile on her lips. Damon gave her a crooked smile, walking into the room further.

"You know I like to make an entrance..." He teased before shrugging. "And, surprising you"

She glared at him, smiling. "I know" She said, her eyes traveling down to the bear in his hands. She raised her eyebrow. "Again? I think this is like the sixteenth bear you've give me"

He nodded. "Yup" He responded, popping the 'p'. The brunette eagerly took the bear from her boyfriend and pressed it again her chest, hugging it.

"Oh," She said snapping her head to his. "The dance is Friday..." She started, pouting out her lip at him. He sighed, a smirk playing on his lips.

"And let me guess... You want me to go with you?" He mocked her girly voice as she slapped him with a pillow. He grabbed it from her hands and put it on his lap and she continued to pout her lips.

"Yes, please" She whispered, crawling closer to him on the bed. He smirked as she put her legs over his, sitting in his lap, her hands on his neck, batting her eyelashes. "I know your stupid male ego doesn't want you too and it's not really your thing...but please do it for me"

"Hmm," He purred, happy with the fact she was sitting on him. "I _might_ need some persuasion" She gazed at him from under her eyelashes and lightly mirrored his smirk before leaning in to kiss him.

"Dinner's ready!" Miranda called from downstairs, startling the couple on the bed and Elena blushed, embarrassed. Her skin turned hot from the fact she had planned to seduce her boyfriend when her parents or Jeremy could walk in at any time. She quickly jumped off of Damon as he cursed under his breath.

"Come on, have dinner with us, Damon" She stood from the bed and gently grabbed his hand, trying to pull him, but he sat still on the bed.

"Nah, I probably should be going home before mom and dad freak out that I'm not in my room. Of course, they'll guess I'm with you but you know how they are" He mumbled standing up and stretching his hands.

"Then, just text them. Say you're going to be at my house for dinner and then you'll be home Please stay with us. Please Damo" She begged, pouting out her lip knowing it would tug at his heartstrings. He sighed, his face softening. Elena was just as stubborn as him among other things, that her perfect for him but at the moment her stubbornness is annoying!

"Ugh, fine" He said, letting her pull his hand and followed her to the edge of her door before she paused and turned to him.

"I love you, Damon" She said, shyly, tucking a piece if hair behind her ear, fearful she would get the same response she always did. Silence. The words caught in his throat once more, he knew he loved Elena, he admitted it to himself and to Stefan so why is it so hard to spit it out to _her?_ It's obvious she was getting tired of the silence she always got when she said those three words. But, he had talked it over with himself. He wasn't _ready_ to say it to her.

"Elena," He started and pulled his hand from hers. She looked hurt from the action but he rubbed his temples, trying to get her to understand.

"Don't Damon. You've never even told me you loved me during our friendship. Is it because you honestly don't love? Why are we even in this relationship if it's going to lead nowhere?" She started rambling and he held his hands up.

"Woah, woah, woah. Wait a second..." He paused, replaying her words in his mind. They made him angry. How dare she claim to know he doesn't love her? "Elena, if you're just looking for me to say 'I love you' then we shouldn't be together. Because I don't use those words freely like everyone else. Excuse me for having fears just as everybody else" He rolled his eyes and didn't wait for a response before walking down the stairs, without a doubt ready to leave.

"Damon," Elena said from the top of the stairs, exasperated he was walking out. She called his name once again but he ignored it and continued walking out of the house as the Gilbert family stood, confused.

"Did you two have another fight?" Miranda asked, looking up at her daughter as Grayson looked out the window, glaring at the young boy's back.

"Yeah" Elena sighed, walking down the stairs and in front of her family.

"Well, let's eat and give you both time to calm down and after you're done you can try to call him. Your all's fights never last long" Miranda said a knowing smile on her face. Grayson just rolled his eyes at his wife for completely adoring this teenage boy. Sure, he had known Damon as long as Elena had but that didn't mean he wouldn't protect his little girl even from him if he screwed up. He walked away from the girls and into the dining room with Jeremy.

Elena nodded, agreeing with her mother and walked into the dining room, Miranda trailing behind her.

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _It's been 5_ _months and 29 days,_ _tomorrow it will be 6 months, since me and Damon started dating. And, I have to say it isn't what I thought it was going to be. I mean it's perfect and I love that but...every time_ _I tell Damon I love him, he ignores what I said, responds with_ _silence or tells me he 'can't'._

 _I don't want to sound so_ _clingy or so sappy but when he does that, something shifts inside of me. Like my_ _insecurities start to grow louder inside my head. Sometimes they say something_ _along the lines of 'He doesn't love you. Isn't that obvious?' Or 'Why would he love you? There's nothing special about you. You're just little plain old Elena Gilbert with brown hair and brown eyes. Almost every girl on the planet as that. Damon is far out of your league' and I've started to agree with those voices. Damon's never even told me he loves me when we were friends so when we started dating it hurt so much more._

 _I didn't have a problem with it at first, like the first day we started going out. I didn't WANT him to say it back. I just wanted him to know. I had never said it before._

 _I never said it before because I was afraid of exactly what is happening. I would say it and he would go silent and that happens almost every time. Damon has never been the type of person to talk about his feelings or even admit them, he even has trouble with telling his own mother, but I thought things would be different with me. Don't know why. If he doesn't tell his mother, why would he tell_ _me? I've cried in mother's arms because I was driving myself crazing over this and yes it may seem like a normal teenage girl tantrum but thinking about the fact the person you love, that you're in a relationship with doesn't love you makes the world seem just a little darker._

 _She pet_ _my hair and let me cry without a question. She whispered in my ear. "It's okay, Elena. Calm down. Damon loves you, sweetheart. He's just having trouble admitting it and most men or boys do. Everything will be fine" To say it made me feel better would be an enormous_ _lie. The thought has already crossed my mind multiple times but I smiled and nodded at her, while convincing my father not to barge over to the Salvatore home and rip Damon a new one._

 _I've been stressing myself out so much over this but at least Damon is with me and bring me all these_ _little stuffed brown bears so that makes it better. I'm going for a walk, talk to you later, diary._

 _-Elena_

She closed the diary and repeated the motion of placing the diary under her bed before going down the stairs.

"Where are you going, sweetheart?" Miranda asked, wiping the windows with a power towel, the smell of bleach and cleaning products filling the house.

"I'm just going for a walk, mom. My head hurts. I need some air" Elena replied, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and Miranda raised an eyebrow.

"Is this because of Damon?" She asked and the silence she got from her daughter gave her the answer she already knew. "I told you, he'll come around. I know he will. Some men have trouble explaining or expressing their emotions because society says that if they do, they're weak. Just give him time, baby" Elena bit her lip and nodded at her mother before she continued. "Be careful. Watch all of your surroundings, Elena. There are some sick people in this world, nowadays. Just text me or your father if you plan on being out for a few or if you go to Damon's house. Okay?"

"Okay, mom. I will" Elena said and walked out of the house, shutting the door behind her.

She started walking on the sidewalk, passing all of her neighbors and friends houses, not even bothering to stop at Caroline's or Bonnie's. She needed quiet. She needed to be alone for the moment. She rubbed her pounding temples and breathed in the fresh air, smiling at the birds and animals that ran by, especially the rabbits. She started to chase one, laughing, and still kept the smile on her face when it ran off into the woods. She knew she wouldn't catch it but enjoying the simple things of acting like a child started to soothe her body and muscles.

She came upon the Grill a few minutes later, the smell of burgers and fries in the air and she continued walking past it. Her eyes traveled up from the sidewalk and over to the business across the street. And, when her eyes landed on the familiar black hair, her heart shattered in her chest, a hole starting to form. Her eyes watered at the mere sight and the world caved in on her.

There Damon sat with another girl on a bench, talking and smiling. A smile she had barely seen anymore. Since the start of their romantic relationship, his smile was more loving, not playful like the one he wore in that moment. She turned away from the sight and ran from the town's businesses, right back to her home.

She had blinked the tears back, the pure agony inside of her turning into rage. That was the breaking point of her patience. At that moment, she was blinded by a five-course serving of rage that tasted bitter, yet surprisingly satisfying. She barged into her house, thankful her family hadn't seen her because their questions would only lead to an argument, and she threw open the door of her room, walking right to the closet that held all the bears inside. She pulled out all of the bears and started throwing all of them across the room. She knocked over her lamp next to the bed with one and it fell on the floor, cracked. She grabbed scissors from one of her drawers under her desk and ripped one the teddy bears apart, the stuffing landing in different places of the floor. She stopped, suddenly regretting what she did, and threw both the scissors and the ripped teddy bear.

Her breathing was heavy and hard and she slid down, her back against the wall and sat on the floor, her knees curled up to her chest, tears streaming down her face. Her crying was both ferocious and noisy. She blinked briny tears from bloodshot eyes, her dark thick lashes stuck together in clumps as if she'd been swimming. The tears made wet tracks down her face and dripped from her stubbled, wobbling chin. Clear watery snot streaked from her flaring nostrils down her red mottled skin to her open quivering lips and she wiped it away with a tissue. Her hands open and closed, rhythmically clenching as if there could be some violent solution to her pain. If only she could find it.

She wiped away the tears with the back of hand and stood up, taking multiple deep breaths. She _refused_ to let Damon have this power over her. If he wanted to secretly see people behind her back, she would at least confront him about it. She wiped all the traces that she was crying away and clenched her jaw, remembering the sight of Damon with another girl. She left her room and walked out of the house and back to the place where she had seen Damon. He wasn't there this time. He was gone. She rolled her eyes and walked on the road that led to her house that was filled with trees on both sides of the road.

She walked for an hour, occasionally texting Bonnie and Caroline when she heard a voice from behind her. Her ears perked at his voice and whipped around to face him as he looked at her confused.

"What's wrong, baby?" He asked upon seeing her death glare. He reached down to grab her hand when she didn't respond and she snatched her hand away from his grip. "Baby, what's wrong?" He asked again as her eyes traveled down to the brown teddy bear in his arms that he no doubt went to give her. She snatched it from his hands and looked over it for a moment, emotionless, before throwing it in the road.

Damon's head snapped over to the bear lying on the concrete and ran over to get it as Elena watched, her face still emotionless but turned into fear when she heard the honk of a semi-truck. She gasped at the sound and saw it quickly approaching her boyfriend to which he still didn't notice. He stood up quickly to move but was pushed out of the way when Elena jumped in front of him, getting it by the heavy truck.

* * *

The beeping of the machine next to her caused her eyes to snap open. She gasped at the bright light over her, her eyes adjusting and she noticed she was in a hospital room. She blinked, a slight prick in her arm and she look down at the feeling, a needle in her arm, plugged into the machine, a slight throbbing coming from it. Her eyes looked down and she smiled when the familiar black hair came into view.

His eyes were closed, sleeping. When he was asleep he laid as still as a brick. The only movement was the slight rise and fall of his chest. There were bags under his eyes, clear he hadn't slept in a while. His hand was over her ribs, that same teddy bear she threw into the street in his hands. His heart thumped in accordance with slow, shallow breaths. Serenity was plastered across his face as he slept. At peace, his consciousness swirled in the land of dreams, oblivious to the physical world. Her smile widened at the sight, her eyes watering at the thought she almost lost him because of her jealousy. A single tear slipped down her cheek and she closed her eyes, disgusted with herself when a finger wiped it away. Her eyes shot open at the touch and she gasped when she saw Damon's crystal blue eyes staring back at her.

"Damon," She said breathless and tried to sit up but bit her lip in pain when her back felt like it was being stabbed with a knife. Damon gently pushed her back down on the pillow.

"Don't move" He whispered and she nodded. He stood up from the chair he was sitting in and closer to her face, kissing every inch of her skin. He started at her cheek, lightly kissing both sides before kissing her forehead, her eyelids when she closed them and blushed. A smile returned to her lips and she opened her eyes again when he kissed her hot cheeks before moving to her lips. But, he paused before touching them before licking his lips and slightly leaning forward. His lips brush hers. Not innocently, like a tease but hot, fiery, passionate and demanding. She wanted to pull away, to say she the words she needed to say, before she lost herself but she couldn't seem to…In this minty moment, her senses have been seduced and she could no longer think straight.

When he kissed her, her brain lit on fire and the warmth spread throughout her entire body. After that she was addicted, she couldn't bare not to be with him and I could barely breathe when he was around. His kisses were her salvation and her torment. She lived for them and she would die with the memory of them on her lips. She dedicated my life to being with him, silently, from the moment of that first kiss, for she knew that if she lost him, she would lose herself. He was the half that made her whole. He pulled back after a moment, licking his lips, almost as if savoring the taste of hers as she opened her eyes, everything hazy.

"Elena" He whispers slowly, prolonging each letter as if to savor them. She smiled, her heart fluttering at his voice as she clasped her hands on either side of his face. Never before has my name ever felt so wonderful a one, she thought, as she leaned in for another…

"Wait" He said, stopping her. She pouted her lips at his response, looking at him confused. "I have to tell your family, baby. I wasted too much time already. I'm being too selfish with you. Your family is waiting and so is mine"

She shook her instantly. "No, not yet" He sighed at her words and she just clutched his face harder in response. "Please. I'm fine, I promise. Be selfish with me a little longer, please" His face softened and then sighed when she gave him the puppy dog eyes.

"Elena-" He started but was effectively cut off when she spoke over him.

"I'm sorry" She quickly spit out as he looked at her confused and pulled away, sitting back down in the chair beside the bed.

"For what?" He asked baffled.

"For being clingy. For being ungrateful. I knew you still had trouble with expressing your emotions and I still pushed you to tell me that you loved me. And, when I saw you with that girl, I lost it-"

"Wait a second. Saw me with what girl?"

"Damon, please don't play dumb. I was walking and I came up to the Grill and I saw _you_ across the street with some girl, smiling and it really hurt because you hardly show me that smile. So, I ran away and..." She paused remembering what she did to the stuffed animals. "And, threw all of the bears around the room because I was angry and hurt. Then, I decided to confront you about it because if you were going to see people behind my back then we shouldn't be together. And, when I came back, you weren't there so I started walking and that's when you showed up" She said ashamed.

"That's why you were acting like that" He mumbled to himself, hearing every word, she nodded.

"Yeah" She said, her eyes watering once again. The tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down her face, within a few seconds. She heard her own sounds, like a distressed child, raw from the inside. It takes something out of her she didn't know she had left to give. "Damon, I'm so sorry. I could have gotten you kill. I'm sorry..." She felt the muscles of her chin tremble like a small child and she looked toward Damon, who was standing up, the light in his eyes soothing her. His hands were cupping her face in an instant, his eyes bright, filled with determination.

"Quit that. Now. This isn't your fault, Elena, and don't even start thinking that. There was _no_ way you could have known that was going to happen. It was an _accident._ And, I'm already so pissed at you because you jumped in front of me and pushed me out of the way. Do you understand what would happen to me if you died?" He demanded, his voice low but hard, his eyes broken at the mere thought of her gone. She stayed silent, guilty, for just a moment.

"Well, do you have any idea what would happen to me if _you_ died?" She retaliated. "I had to do something, Damon. I couldn't just stand there and _watch_ you get hit by a semi-truck"

"Do you have any idea what I felt when I _had_ to watch you get hit? That truck hit you so hard you flew back a few feet, _Elena._ I thought you were _dead._ I wanted to kill myself in that moment" He rubbed his hands over his face and grabbed the teddy bear from on top of her legs, to which she gladly took from his hands. She pressed it to her chest as if she had never wanted anything more in her life. He smiled sadly at the sight before licking his lips.

"I was talking to that woman because she is the owner of the flower shop. I was planning on getting you a bunch of roses and lilies because our 6-month anniversary is tomorrow. I was just talking to her because she was on her break and I caught her on the way out so I decided to sit down with her and talk about you and what I wanted for you. I wasn't doing anything behind you back and I never have..." He ran a hand through his hair before continuing. "I know I haven't been the best with our relationship and I've been scared. I always have been with you. Even at a young age, you took my breath away..."

 _Elena played with her Barbie_ _dolls, occasionally slapping them together_ _as if they were in a battle for the Ken doll. The sun started to set, creating a beautiful mix of orange_ _and yellow in the sky and the window_ _blew softly. She smacked the dolls together again when she heard a voice from behind her._

 _"Hey, you shouldn't hurt the dolls. They didn't do anything to you" Elena snapped her head to the sound and turned around. A small boy no older than she was, standing a few feet behind her, smiling. Elena smiled at the boy._

 _"I guess they didn't but I like seeing them fight for Ken. It's funny" She said and handed him one, silently_ _asking if he wanted to play. He gladly took the blonde Barbie and started hitting it against Elena's. The brunette_ _Barbie, slipped from her hands and she gasped._

 _"She's dead. She gets Ken" She said, pointing to the Barbie in Damon's hand. They both looked at each before laughing together and he laid the Barbie with the Ken doll._

 _"I'm Damon"_

 _"I'm Elena" She paused for a moment, looking at the raven-haired_ _boy. "How old are you?"_

 _"I'm 9" He stated proudly. Elena gasped again, standing up._

 _"Me too!" She said, excitedly. "Are you new in town? I haven't seen you before"_

 _"Yeah, i_ _moved over there" He pointed next door to Elena's house. The brunette's_ _mouth dropped when he did._

 _"That's my house! We're going to be neighbors!" She said as he turned back to her, smiling. His blue eyes were the color of a hot summer day and she blushed from his gaze._

 _"I think we're going to be best friends"_

"And, that scared me as I got older. I asked my mom why I couldn't tell you because you deserved to know and I _knew_ that I loved you and she said 'Just give it time, Damon. It's clear you're not ready' so that's what I did. I was scared to tell _you_ but I talked to Stefan and my mom about it. I wanted to tell you, Elena. I did but I was scared so I gave you teddy bears instead"

Elena smiled at her boyfriend. "I thought that's what it was. Like a symbolism thing. It was very cute, Damon. I never really thanked you for any of them so, thank you"

He gave a forced laugh. "It's nothing, baby but..." He grabbed her hand. "You don't know do you? I mean I guessed but I wasn't really sure"

"What do you mean?"

"The bears. I've gotten you one for every day we've been dating. I mean I did it because I wanted to give you something but there was another reason too..." He paused and pulled out his phone, going to the gallery. "Instead of telling you, I'll just show you" He said and handed her the phone. She looked down at it confused before reading the words on the pictures.

The brown teddy bears that Damon had gotten her but ones from the store he got them from. They spelled out 'I love you' in red on their stomachs when they were put together and she gasped at the picture. Her eyes watered all over again and she pulled the phone away, letting it fall into her lap. He smiled at her reaction.

"All this time..." She mumbled to herself and looked back up at him. "Damon...I'm so sorry. I was too busy being selfish and wanting to hear it from your lips that I didn't even notice"

He chuckled. "Baby, it's fine..." He said and stood up. He let out a breath before reaching into the pocket of his leather jacket and pulling out something that was in his clenched fist. "This is what I was really giving you and I planned on telling you tomorrow but what the hell..." He said and opened his palm. Inside, was a small silver ring with a tiny little diamond at the top.

Her heart started to beat faster in her chest and her palms became sweaty. "What is..." She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence when he grabbed her hand, looking back and forth between her third finger and her left hand, as if seeing it would fit. He let her hand go and looked back up at her, nervous.

"This is a promise ring. I know we're too young right now and both of our parents would kill us if we we're engaged so quick but I want you to have this because I _will_ marry you one day, Elena Gilbert. Anything you want will be yours and I know this has taken me a long time but..." He took a deep breath, struggling with his next words. "I love you but I'm still so sorry-"

"Damon, shut up!" She yelled happily and his eyes snapped back up to hers and he smiled as well. "Yes, of course I'll take the ring. I want to get married, yes! I love you so much!" She yelled as he slipped the ring on her finger and leaned it to kiss her when the door suddenly opened and there stood Miranda and Grayson, glaring at Damon.

"Oops" Damon stated.

* * *

 **AN:** I hope you all enjoyed. If you like it, go check out my other Delena stories!


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